Putting Bungee to Bed
Written by Sasha Carr, PhD
Illustrated by Linda Neptune
6/01/2016
978-0-578-17607-9
40 pages   Ages 3—6

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“Ben and Bungee are the best of friends. But every night, Bungee comes out of his den and keeps Ben awake. Ben knows they can’t go on being too tired to play their favorite games or have fun. What can he do to save them both from tired, grouchy days? With some trial and error, Ben just might find a way . . ” [back cover]

Review
Ben and his best friend Bungee play all day. They do practically everything together, even Bungee’s favorite activity: bouncing! But at night, Bungee cannot stop and rest. He still wants to bounce and keeps Ben awake. The next morning, Ben is too tired to play. Sometimes he is too tired to eat breakfast, once falling face-first onto his plate. Ben knows he must find a way to settle Bungee down. Bungee simply does not understand why Ben would want to sleep when he could play—or bounce.

The result of no sleep is a grouchy, angry Ben. Ben is desperate. He needs a plan before he and Bungee ruin their friendship. Ben writes a list of bedtime rules everyone, including mom, dad, and his little sister Jessie, must follow.

Bungee is not happy. He is not always ready to sleep at night and wants to bounce. Ben explains the rules more closely, making sure Bungee understands he does not need to sleep, simply lie down—his body will decide when it is time to sleep. Bungee is a tough cookie—actually, he is a monkey—and continues to get out of his den at night, keeping Ben awake. What is Ben going to do? Will Bungee ever become a sleeper?

Putting Bungee to Bed uses two adorable characters young children will adore. Bungee is a lovable monkey. I can imagine some youngsters will want a monkey of their own—plush varieties—to help them sleep at night, just like Ben (or Bungee)*. I would have loved to have Putting Bungee to Bed in my office way back when. While youngster won’t suddenly sleep after reading the story, the idea gets into their head, and mom’s.

Ben actually uses the routine parents are advised to use: quietly, without saying a word, walk your child back to bed, tuck them in, and walk away—no matter how many times it takes before the child (Bungee) gives up and lies down, falling asleep. It works, but life is much easier when there is cooperation, even with little kids. Bungee understanding the “Rules” and understanding why the rules are important, helps the plan work. Good advice for dealing with kids, no matter the age.

The illustrations are adorable. Quickly, let me say for a nighttime story I think a shade of blue works better than green. Despite the use of green as the background, the illustrations will please children and are viewable from a distance—perfect for group story time (or a family of quintuplets). I am not a fan of talk-bubbles, except in graphic novels, yet it works quite well in Putting Bungee to Bed. Both Ben and Bungee have big expressive eyes and faces children will easily understand.

I love the text. The word count is kept low, the plot and conflicts work perfectly, and the illustrator has room to tell the story her way. Together, the text and images are adorable, tell a good story, do not moralize, and allow the child to find a solution. The writing is very good. Mom and dad could disappear from the story. I believe they are there to show a cohesive family and little Josie offers comic relief at the breakfast table.

I must take issue with the formatting of the book. There is no proper credit page and the note to parents belongs after the story. That said, in Carr’s note to “Tired Parents” she explains how the story came to fruition and the solution used for that particular child. I absolutely love—and professionally agree—with Carr’s approach. As an aside, I would like to share it with you, as it sums up my approach when I worked with kids way back when. I believe the two highlighted phrases are the keys to raising a wonderful child who will become a wonderful adult.

“I helped them engage their preschooler’s imagination, show him how and why sleep is important, and give him a sense of purpose by placing him in charge of someone else (a favorite stuffed animal).”

Putting Bungee to Bed is Sasha Carr’s debut children’s book.

*There happens to be a plush Bungee, though I had no idea when I wrote the review. If interested in owning your own Bungee, go here for details.

PUTTING BUNGEE TO BED. Text copyright © 2016 by Sasha Carr. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Linda Neptune. Reproduced by permission of the author, Sasha Carr.

Amazon—Indie Books—Sasha Carr’s Website

Find Putting Bungee to Bed on Goodreads HERE.
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Reprinted with permission from PUTTING BUNGEE TO BED © 2016 by Sasha Carr, PhD, Illustrations © 2016 by Linda Neptune.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Putting Bungee to Bed
Written by Sasha Carr, PhD
Illustrated by Linda Neptune
6/01/2016
9780578176079